Band:	To/Die/For
Album:	Jaded
Style:	Suomi metal
Release date:	2003
Guest review by:	Justin

01. Dying Embers
02. (I Just) Died In Your Arms [Cutting Crew cover]
03. Too Much Ain't Enough
04. The Unknown II
05. Jaded
06. Fall Strains
07. Forever
08. Años De Dolor
09. Silence Tells More...
10. Spineless [Finnish & Japanese bonus]
11. Too Much Ain't Enough [Single version] [Japanese bonus]
12. Behind These Walls [King Diamond cover] [Japanese bonus]

Finland's To/Die/For have been crafting the unique combination of gothic metal with an instinctive love of all things eighties wise since their inception in 1996. Members have come and gone over the years, but that hasn's hindered the band's careful refinement of sound over the years. 1991's Epilogue really pushed the band in the limelight throughout Europe, while the single Hollow Heart performed well in the charts. Now two years later, To/Die/For return with their heaviest album to date.

'Dying Embers' is a good indication for the album. The guitars are well up in the mix, and even though the keyboards are still high in the mix, there's a punch within the music that wasn's there on previous releases. No To/Die/For album would be complete without a revamped lost classic, and this time it's Cutting Crew's hit '[I Just] Died In Your Arms'. While the cover is pretty faithful to the original, there is more than enough of the bands personality injected into it to make it interesting. There's a flash back to the past in 'The Unknown II' [the original 'The Unknown' featured on Epilogue]. The track can be taken either as a remake, or a sequel. It's not exactly the same, but it's not entirely different either. The title track 'Jaded' proudly displays the harder edge of the band, while 'Fall Strains' and 'Silence Tells More' lean towards the more gothic side of things. Something also worthy noting is that the last two tracks mentioned features the operatic-like vocals of Anna Lukkarinen [ex-Clossolania]. Her range and ability adds to the morbid feel of the songs, which really gives them that special touch.

Vocalist Jape Peratalo seems to improve with each new album, while lead guitarist Joonas Koto does seem to have more to offer on this album than all his previous efforts. To/Die/For may not be for everyone, but this will fans praising them to no end.